Hammond International Inc.: What is Your Goal & How Do You Stay On Track?

Recently I did a presentation for the West End Business Association The topic was on creating partnerships and collaborations with other businesses, something I am very passionate about, in fact, in a previous career I facilitated the planning processes for many partnerships and collaborative projects for government departments, stakeholder groups, businesses, entrepreneurs to name just a few.

One of the tips that I spoke about was the importance of your goals. Many years ago my husband Christopher and I were in a sailboat accident, one that was almost fatal, and, changed my life. As we swam for hours trying to get back to shore, I became so aware and present to the fact that the only thing my brain needed to focus on was the shore line...my goal!

Many years later we were preparing to take friends sailing. Part of getting ready to sail is preparation, and setting the sails. You can see in this photo we had a sail malfunction. That malfunction while not major would impact our ability to maintain the course, sail with ease and resulted in us coming back to shore for some minor repairs. In business and in life, sometimes we have to return to the starting point to re-adjust, make minor repairs and then set back out on the journey.

Here are a few points from the business presentation I delivered....

GOAL- you need to know your shoreline.

People and Plan- you have to have a captain, a skipper. Someone needs to lead the team. Then you must assign the right people to the right task. Teach them the skills they need to know. You need to have a plan. The plan begins with preparation and ends with preparation.

Staying on Course- here is a safety line to keep you on course and on track:

T- training

R- relationships

A- ASK

C- courageous dialogue and collaboration skills

K- kindness

As you set the sails for a new day in business, take a few moments to:

1) Know your shoreline

2) Set the sails and have a back up plan

3) Make sure you fill the boat with the right team and that roles are clear

4) Be prepared to veer off course if the waters get rough

5) Ensure you have your safety line....just in case